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pork never goes bad posted:It's a refreshing alternative to organic farming which is just industrial farming but replacing petrochemicals with fish guts and still leaves the soil depleted, to biodynamics which is mystical bullshit, and to industrial farming which can produce excellent wine but is perhaps not the way forward for the world. Perhaps. Perma-viti-culture? Organic farming isn't always just industrial farming. There are plenty of small organic farms that are using mixed planting techniques to maintain soil quality, that you as an educated consumer can locate and purchase from. Unfortunately that same organic certification is so toothless that without knowing about a specific farm's techniques, it's nearly meaningless. That said, the biodynamic certification isn't the solution. Biodynamics are total bullshit. This isn't to say that there aren't good things in it, but the good things that actually work are the same techniques that are used on an organic farm that knows what it's doing and wants to really be sustainable. Beyond that though, biodynamics are just religious type nonsense. I suppose you're probably right in the context of wine, though. I certainly haven't toured any organic wineries, but I'd bet that they're doing exactly what you're saying, and I suppose if the biodynamic certification is proof of responsible farming techniques, then great. I just wish it didn't require the bullshit, and I have some reservations about giving money to organizations that buy into that kind of quackery.
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Dec 8, 2011 23:26
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Hey SF Bay Area guys! I'm going to be heading to Mendocino by way of Healdsberg tomorrow, and I'm hoping one of you can point me towards some decent tasting rooms in the area. Yes, I realize this is last minute and a long shot. Thanks! Edit: Probably going to hit up Toulouse, Jim Ball, Phillip's Hill, and maybe Navarro. AriTheDog fucked around with this message at 07:11 on Dec 23, 2011 |
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Dec 23, 2011 04:02
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assraped aquaman posted:i live in Mendocino! pork never goes bad posted:Visit Unti as well, if you can make it! Thanks a ton for the recs! We ended up going to Phillip's Hill and Toulouse, both of which were great. Tasted some amazing wines at Toulouse that were outside my price range, (notably a '08 pinot noir that had a truly fantastic aroma) but bought a bottle of some delicious pinot gris. At Phillip's Hill I ended up with a couple bottles each of a really nicely balanced '09 dry gewurztraminer, and a low alcohol content '09 pinot noir with lots of strawberry flavor and a really light finish. All in all, I had a great time, and can't wait to go back. I'd have loved to have tried more spots, but we were with a couple that neglected to swish and spit. The coast is loving gorgeous, and I'm tempted to try and find a reason to move up to Mendocino now.
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Dec 27, 2011 07:57
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Cpt.Wacky posted:Well this stuff was loving disgusting, could barely get a few sips down and felt sick afterwards. Yeah there was some local "winemaker" operating out of some warehouses around here who sold a wine that he proudly explained was "a dessert wine flavored with McCormick's brand chocolate extract!" It was incredibly terrible, much like his other wines made with tropical fruit sourced from the Oakland night market. Chocolate and wine go together because they contrast in a complementary way. Much like how you wouldn't puree a hamburger and enjoy it, food and wine should be kept apart. Wine flavored with blue cheese extract, however...
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Jan 3, 2012 04:11
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Anyone have any suggestions for decent but not terribly expensive glassware? I'm finally getting too sick of the various inherited wine glasses I have, and I'm looking to get new ones.
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Mar 6, 2012 06:14
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Thanks! Yeah, I'm great on cocktail glasses of all sorts, but there's so much horseshit surrounding wine glassware that I was wondering if some of you would tell me "fancy crystal of the appropriate shape per varietal" or what. Glad to hear what I wanted to hear, I guess.
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Mar 6, 2012 07:26
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nwin posted:Alright, at the risk of catching poo poo for this, I have to ask. I've had some decent boxed wines before, and I'd agree with the statement that whites are a better bet. There was a surprisingly decent 2010 zinfandel boxed wine at Trader Joe's for a while, and I also had a pretty good bag of white (some black and white bag, I can't remember the name) that was also from TJ's. They do last much, much longer, although depending on the design some air can get into the bag while you pour. I'd say give it a shot, worst case scenario you make a bunch of sangria.
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Aug 10, 2012 19:22
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Any of you guys in the East SF Bay should check out The Wine Mine's Saturday tastings. $1, six wines, right around 51st and Telegraph.
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Aug 27, 2012 21:21
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Regarding Garagiste, how much does shipping end up being when you get your parcel? I read one report where it sounded like $4-5 per bottle. Is that accurate?
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Nov 23, 2012 04:58
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pork never goes bad posted:To San Francisco CA I paid 16 per case. Ah, thanks, I'm near you and that isn't too bad.
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Nov 23, 2012 06:57
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that Vai sound posted:I'm looking to buy a really good bottle of red wine to celebrate the end of a project, and I could use some guidance on what to look for. I'm interested in something to drink on its own, which is a little different for me because I normally drink wine with food. I guess what I'm afraid of is eating food that clashes with the taste or mutes my palate. I'm looking for something with delicate flavors but noticeable quality. I'm thinking of spending around $100, but I'm not sure what price points there are for wine quality. I'm much more experienced with beer in that way. I'm no expert in pricier wine, but I know enough that I feel like you're wasting your money if you spend that much on a bottle of wine without being able to pick it out yourself. Why not buy a few quality bottles of a variety you're familiar with from a region you like? How much do you normally spend, and what wines specifically do you normally buy? American cabernet sauvignon is extremely broad - if you're talking about big, mass produced California cabernet sauvignon, you're probably not going to like an expensive French one, or even one from cooler climates in California, so without some more specificity you're setting yourself up for disappointment. AriTheDog fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Jan 6, 2013 |
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Jan 6, 2013 07:30
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Yomofo posted:So I just got a job at this really high end restaurant and I know very little about wine besides the colors. Here's their wine list: Looking at the restaurant and the menu which includes tasting notes, you're going to be fine. They did all of the work for you. That said, learning is good and you're at a place where if you know even a little I'm going to guess you know as much as your customers, unless I'm severely underestimating Ditka's as an establishment. I've heard good things about the For Dummies wine book. Edit: Beaten to the For Dummies recommendation. And hi Crimson, I'm in SF but not in the wine industry (unfortunately).
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Jul 3, 2013 03:19
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I recently opened a should-have-been-nice bottle of unfiltered 2009 El Dorado syrah only to find out it was vinegar. It's been stored on its side in a closet in my home for the last two or three years in a relatively mildly temperatured area, ranging from about 65-70 degrees fahrenheit. Yes, I know this is too warm to store wine, but should this have caused this flaw or was this something that would have existed from bottling? Would it be inappropriate to go to the winemaker I bought it from at this point, or not?
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Sep 29, 2014 05:51
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Fair enough, and yeah it's under cork. Thanks. I take it this is different from wine shops where I've been encouraged to bring back flawed bottles because the winemaker has no one to pass the cost on to (whereas the shop gives it back to the distributor), or is it some other reason? AriTheDog fucked around with this message at 17:32 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 17:23
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The real question is whether you get enough up in you in the bath to get buzzed...
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Nov 4, 2014 06:11
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Any opinions on 2009 Chateau Du Courlat bordeaux? It's a 90/10 Merlot/Cab Franc. I have a bottle here and it's very, very good, thinking of getting a case at $18/btl to give out as gifts. Decent buy?
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Dec 14, 2014 20:47
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There was an article in Serious Eats called "The Case for Bad Coffee" which, in short, makes the case that no one ever remembers the quality of a cup of coffee, but instead what happened over it. While I wouldn't go as far as the author (who starts the article by describing making a cup of Maxwell House) I think he does have a point. I'll make coffee with good beans for guests, but that's the time when the automatic coffee maker gets used, or if expecting several people a commercial vacuum pot gets made in advance. I've done the single cup drip for guests and unless only one person wants a cup, it's a dumb waste of time and a distraction from socializing. So for wine, yeah, I completely agree. At a big get together or any kind of special occasion cheap wine is great, because nobody cares, and nobody really wants to talk about the wine even if they are enjoying it.
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Feb 9, 2016 03:37
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:That article is a well-written, emotionally compelling piece of sophistry. I don't disagree and that's why I didn't link it. It's a lengthy piece of pontification. I'm not suggesting anyone here drink bad wine, nor would I suggest anyone drink bad coffee, but I think that there's an interesting point there that in most cases (at least in my circles) connoisseurship isn't terribly important.
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Feb 12, 2016 07:29
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